A Few Situations When You Should Definitely Hire A Business Attorney

As a business owner, there are going to be legal issues coming up all the time. There are bound to be permits and licenses needed to start and maintain your business. There will also be contracts and agreements to be worked out and signed. Luckily, many of these things you can handle on your own if you feel comfortable doing so. However, there may come a time when you are going to need experienced legal help if you want to keep your business going. Here are a few situations when you should forget trying to take care of things yourself and hire a business attorney.

Government Agencies

If the Environmental Protection Agency, Internal Revenue Service, or Federal Trade Commission shows up with a complaint against your business, it is best to be polite and tell them to contact your lawyer. As soon as they leave, contact a business attorney and let them know what is going on so they can get to the bottom of the situation. Trying to deal with a government agency can be confusing at best. Everything they do is done in a special language that will require a lawyer to decipher. In addition, a lawyer is your best bet to getting the complaint handled in the least expensive manner.

Product Liability

If a product you sell causes illness, injury, or death to a consumer, you are going to need legal help. While you have product liability insurance and the insurance company will be there to help pay for the damages, a lawyer will help you determine if the fault lies solely with your company or if one of your suppliers needs to take some of the blame. This will not only help when it comes to compensating anyone hurt but will also help save your business reputation so consumers will not be afraid to use your products in the future.

High-Dollar Contracts

When you are getting ready to sign a contract that involves a large sum of money, be sure to have a business lawyer read it over first. You do not want to find out after you sign that there is a loophole that will cause you to lose money. 

If you have a small business that will not need a lawyer on a daily basis but will need one regularly, you can ask to put the lawyer or firm on retainer. You pay them a predetermined amount every month in exchange for their common, non-emergency services. Generally, this would include reading contracts, writing a few letters, and providing general advice. It is a good way to get general legal help when you need it without having to be billed by the hour for every little thing.


Share